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DOES YOUR ORGANIZATION OFFER EMERGENCY FOOD AID IN RESPONSE TO COVID-19? CLICK HERE ([link removed][UNIQID])


** USDA NATIONAL HUNGER CLEARINGHOUSE
NEWSLETTER
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THE USDA NATIONAL HUNGER CLEARINGHOUSE IS OPERATED BY HUNGER FREE AMERICA
July 2020


** PANDEMIC EBT (P-EBT): WHAT IS IT?
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The Families First Coronavirus Response Act of 2020 included Coronavirus Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) to allow temporary emergency benefits. P-EBT is for families with children who participated in the free or reduced meal programs in schools. These benefits help families buy food when school is closed.

The following states are still accepting applications: Tennessee ([link removed][UNIQID]) (July 13th), California ([link removed][UNIQID]) (July 15th), Kansas ([link removed][UNIQID]) (July 31st), Minnesota ([link removed][UNIQID]) (July 31st), New Hampshire ([link removed][UNIQID]#/) (Aug. 24th), and Washington ([link removed][UNIQID]) (Aug. 31st). Some states do not require an application and automatically enroll families that were participating in reduced/free meal programs in schools to receive P-EBT.

You can call the Hunger Hotline and our representatives can help you locate the P-EBT application or answer any questions about the program. Learn more about P-EBT here ([link removed][UNIQID]) .
SUMMER MEALS FOR KIDS
With summer in full swing, schools, community centers, public parks, and libraries across the nation are operating their Summer Food Service Program (SFSP). This program ensures that kids still have access to nutritious meals even when school is not in session. Usually, meals must be served and eaten on site, however, with COVID-19 and the need for social distancing, the USDA has made a temporary exception to this rule and is allowing grab-and-go meals instead. Use the Summer Meal Site Finder ([link removed][UNIQID]) tool or text "Summer" to 97-779 to find a summer meals near you. Be sure to confirm the protocols before visiting the meal site.

The majority of children who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch do not participate in the SFSP. In the 2017-2018 school year, participation rates summer nutrition lunch* in states ranged from 5.5 to 34.5 children for every 100 receiving free or reduced-price lunch during the prior school year (FRAC, 2019 ([link removed][UNIQID]) ). If you work at a meal site, check out these resources to promote best practices and help increase participation at your site:
-Best Practices for Parent Pick-Up of Meals and Snacks ([link removed][UNIQID])
-Summer Meals Toolkit ([link removed][UNIQID]#Raise)
-Tips from Outstanding Sites ([link removed][UNIQID])
-Replicable Strategies from Kansas ([link removed][UNIQID])
If you are interested in operating a site, click here ([link removed][UNIQID]) to learn more.

If you need help locating a site near you, the USDA Hunger Hotline is free to call at 866-348-6479 (English) or 877-842-6273 (Spanish) Monday through Friday from 7am-10pm ET.

*Summer nutrition lunch includes SFSP and free and reduced-price National School Lunch Program, including the Seamless Summer Option.
[link removed][UNIQID]
Help us grow our resource list ([link removed][UNIQID])


** COMING SUMMER 2020: USDA NATIONAL HUNGER CLEARINGHOUSE DATABASE
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Hunger Free America is in the process of building a comprehensive national resource database that will be available to the public, free of charge. The database will include a list of private and public sites which provide subsidized food that is, by far, the most accurate in the country by utilizing a combination of data sharing partnerships, crowd-sourcing, and in-house validation to keep data fresh and accurate. Utilizing technology will make it easier for anyone to give help or get help to fight hunger. Nationwide, there are more than 40,000 food pantries and soup kitchens, thousands of government food assistance application sites, and 8,600 farmers markets, but there is no existing nationwide database of these entities that is comprehensive and up-to-date.

Our top goals for this database are:
* To efficiently connect hungry Americans and service providers to food resources and the pertinent details needed to effectively access those resources (such as hours of operation and eligibility requirements)
* To make federal nutrition assistance programs more accessible to the tens of millions of hungry Americans who are eligible for these programs, but fail to receive the aid they need. HFA has conducted extensive research on this topic and has identified technology as an effective way to increase access to and awareness of these programs.

The programs we’re looking to include are:
* Food Pantries
* Soup Kitchens
* Local WIC Clinics and SNAP Agencies
* SNAP Eligibility and Application Assistance Partners (non-government entities that assist with eligibility screenings and application assistance)
* WIC Eligibility and Application Assistance Partners (non-government entities that assist with eligibility and application assistance)
* Farmers’ Markets that accept benefits
* Senior Feeding Programs
* CSFP Distribution Sites
* TEFAP Distribution Sites

Benefits of participating include:
* Helping people in your community and across the country access resources by providing accurate information that will be accessible by phone (USDA Hunger Hotline), text (97779), online (USDA Database), or via an app (GotFood?).
* Direct access to data for resources all over the country through the database and above-mentioned portals.
* Access to data and updates in real-time through an API, where available, or through a log-in portal specifically designed for agencies to access, pull, and use data as needed, as well as to make updates directly to the database.
* Assistance in volunteer recruitment if desired.

If you have any questions or would like to further discuss ways in which we can build a mutually beneficial partnership, please contact our Data Director, Angelica Gibson, at [email protected]. With your help, we can reach the 37.2 million Americans in need of food and connect those who wish to contribute to the fight against hunger with the information and resources they need to do so.


** BEST PRACTICES FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY
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Each month, Hunger Free America highlights anti-hunger best practices across the country. This month we will highlight the NH Food Bank's job training program.

In the state of New Hampshire, one in 9 are food insecure and 12% of children live in food insecure environments. To increase their impact and further help people access an adequate food supply, the NH Food Bank has expanded their services to empower others and encourage self sufficiency. These programs include Recipe for Success, culinary job training, Cooking Matters®, fresh rescue, NH Nutrition Incentives Network, production garden and mobile food pantries.

The Culinary Job Training program is an 8-week course that provides those experiencing financial hardships with the opportunity to learn the skills necessary to work in the food service industry. The training primarily consists of hands-on experience preparing meals for agencies registered with the Food Bank. Outside of the kitchen, the Food Bank also provides training on basic financial skills, resume writing, and interview techniques.

Check out their website ([link removed][UNIQID]&mc_cid=7bc2190dac&mc_eid=[UNIQID]) to learn more!

If you would like to nominate an organization for best practice, email [email protected].

WHAT IS THE USDA NATIONAL HUNGER CLEARINGHOUSE?
The USDA National Hunger Clearinghouse - currently operated by Hunger Free America - was created to aide low-income individuals and communities. The clearinghouse can be accessed via the hunger hotline, which is free to call. Hotline representatives connect callers to a variety of resources for individuals seeking food assistance, such as: food pantries, soup kitchens, SNAP, summer meals, and more.

WHAT ARE THE HOURS OF OPERATION FOR THE HOTLINE?
Monday thru Friday 7 am - 10 pm Eastern Standard Time. Please be advised assistance is available in English or Spanish.

CAN I APPLY FOR OR RE-CERTIFY FOR SNAP BY CALLING THE HOTLINE?
Please be advised we do not have access to individual SNAP account information, we do have the ability to connect callers with their state hotline where they can request specific account information and obtain further instruction on ways to apply for SNAP.

To locate your SNAP State Hotline number text "SNAP" to 977-79
To locate your EBT Customer Service number text "EBT" to 977-79

IF YOU ARE AN EMERGENCY FOOD PROVIDER AND WOULD LIKE TO BE ADDED TO THE NATIONAL CLEARINGHOUSE DATABASE, CLICK HERE ([link removed][UNIQID])

Anyone can call the hotline for free and speak to a representative in English or in Spanish. To reach an English-speaking representative, call 1-866-3-HUNGRY (1-866-348-6479). To reach a Spanish-speaking representative, call 1-877-8-HAMBRE (1-877-842-6273). The hotline is available Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. ET.
ANTI HUNGER GRANTS
Hunger Is, an anti-hunger program funded by the Albertsons Companies Foundation and the Entertainment Industry Foundation, has awarded over 4.6 million dollars in grants within the past year to assist organizations seeking to join them in ending childhood hunger. Hunger Free America is proud to be a partner in their initiative to secure free school breakfast meals for all school-aged students. Their work has been instrumental in diminishing hunger nationwide. The grant is available for organizations in the following states: California, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, and Washington. For information on how to be a part of this upcoming year's round of funding, click here ([link removed][UNIQID]&mc_cid=7bc2190dac&mc_eid=[UNIQID]) .
The W. K. Kellogg Foundation accepts healthy kids and community/civic engagement grant applications throughout the year with no submission deadline. To apply online, click here ([link removed][UNIQID]&mc_cid=7bc2190dac&mc_eid=[UNIQID]) .

The Walmart Foundation issues a variety of grants to organizations seeking additional funding, through its giving program. Grant applications for national-level organizations are available year-round, and applications for community impact grants can be submitted until December 31st. For more information on how to apply, click here ([link removed][UNIQID]) .
Copyright © 2018 Hunger Free America, All rights reserved.

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